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1804.

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LETTER II. ON PRISONS. MR. URBAN, Jan. 2. ********_facts are establifhed upon more indubitable experience, than that ventilation and ***** cleanliness are effential to the preservation of health; to which may be added a proper degree of exercise. But as the enjoyment of the laft is rarely within the reach of the prifoner, more attention is due to the acquifition of the two former; and, happily for the poor objects of confinement, fome of the modern ftructures are judiciously formed to promote them; whilft it is more generally to be lamented, that moft of the old prifons, and particularly the Borough ones, are defective in thefe material comforts. They were, however, objects of the first enquiry with the celebrated HowARD; and the fame fentiments influence his fucceffor in the walk of benevolence, whofe letter I fhall take the liberty of introducing here, and which evinces how trivial are the improvements in the ftate of many of our prifons fince the period when HowARD publifhed his "Views of Beneficence;" read indeed by many, adopted but by few. The exertions of HOWARD once roused the attention of the Legiflature; and, in 1774, a Bill was paffed by Parliament, containing many judicious claufes fuggefted by this celebrated Philanthropist, aided by the fagacity of a FOTHERGILL. The heads of this Bill I inferted in the Gentleman's Magazine in the fame year; and then

obferved that it wifely inculcates cleanliness.

"The feveral juftices of the peace are authorized and required to order the walls and cielings of the feveral cells and wards, both of the debtors and felons, and alfo of any other rooms ufed by the prifoners in their refpective gaols and prifons, where felons are ufually confined, to be fcraped and white-wafhed once in the year at leaft; and conftantly fupplied with fresh air, to be regularly washed and kept clean, by means of hand ventilators or other wife; to order two rooms in each gaol or prifon, one for the men, and the other for the women, to be fet apart for the fick prifoners; directing them to be removed into fuch rooms as foon as they fhall be feized with any diforder, aud kept feparate from those who shall bath, or commodious bathing-tubs, to be in health; to order a warm and cold be provided in each gaol or prison, and to direct the prifoners to be washed in fuch warm or cold baths, or bathingtubs, according to the condition in which they fhall be at the time, before they are fuffered to go out of fuch gaols or prifons upon any occafion whatever."

So foreign is the economy of prifons from encouraging the ac quifition of water, and much lefs of any fpecies of baths, for preferving and promoting the health and comforts of the prifoners; that this falutary article is fcarcely known but on the flooring of their dungeons, and that in a ftagnant ftate. HoOWARD never approached a prifon without enquiring, "Is it well fupplied with good water?" He informed me of an anecdote, in fome measure connected with this idea. He went to Litchfield, with the view of examining the prifon there; but pre

viously

viously prefented himself at the habitation of the Rev. Mr. SEWARD, to whom he was then a ftranger. The celebrated Poetefs, the amiable daughter of the Clergyman, received the vifitor till the return of her worthy parent, who had taken an excurfion into the city. Intelligent minds foon coalefce in rational converfation; and the inquiries of HOWARD were fo appropriate and minute refpecting the prifon, and particularly as to the convenience of water, that the lady, foon fufpecting the character of this illuftrious vifitor, quickly atked, "Are you not Mr. HowARD, to whom I have the honour of addreffing myself?"

Under all the horrors of imprifonment by day, where light and air, the enjoyment of the moft ferocious animals, are nearly excluded from the dungeon of the prifoners, Humanity indulges the hope, that night at leaft might afford him the balm of fleep; but, alas! it is too often the odour of ftagnant water over which he repofes, and breathes its injurious exhalation, inftead of enjoying

"Sleep, that knits up the revell'd fleeve of

care,

[bath, The birth of each day's life, fore labour's Balm of hurt minds, great Nature's fecond courfe,

Chief Nourisher in life's feaft*."

But HOWARD never imagined what the pervading eye of NEILD detected, that the couch of a prifoner fhould be moiftened with the depth of twelve inches of foul water, whilft the prifon was denied the poffeffion of this neceflary fluid in its pure ftate. J. C. LETTSOM.

Sambrook Court, London. DEAR SIR, Chefter, Oct 22, 1802. I have been at this place a week; and having now finished my infpection of the public buildings, I have leifure to fend you an account of its pritons. I fhall begin with The Castle, the architect. Mr. Harrifon. It is, I am informed,

*Shakspeare's Macbeth.

one of the finest pieces of Grecian architecture in this kingdom. The grandeur of the defign, the elegance of its appearance, being all of white ftone, and the convenience. with which every part is confructed, renders it equal to any gaol in the kingdom; but, in order to convey to you some idea of it, I will endeavour, as well as I can, to give a defcription of it. The front is about 100 yards, in the centre of which ftands the county hall, before it, there is a colonade projecting about five yards, compofed of 12 folid pillars, fix in a row, each 21 feet long without a joint. The court itfelt is half a circle, round which there are 12 other folid pillars of 8.fect long; on thefe reft the ftone beams which fupport the roof. The court is well calculated for feeing and hearing, as the people ftand upon circular ftone-steps a foot and a half broad, raifed fix inches one above the other.

From the pritoners' bar there is a private paffage into the gaol, to bring them through into court. On the left of the hall is the entrance to the gaol and the turnkey's lodge. After paffing the veftibule is the debtors' yard, which is both spacious and airy, and overlooks a large tract of country. The chapel is a neat little building, ornamented with feven folid pillars 18 feet long; the prifoners are properly feparated, attentive, and well behayed; not one abfent from divine fervice when I was there. Prayers are read three times a week, and a fermon on Sundays. Every felon is obliged to wath himfelf before breakfast. An excellent warm and cold bath. The humanity and politeness of the gaoler endears him to all the prifoners; and fatisfaction is vifibly demonftrated in every countenance. I cannot help here paying a tribute of refpect to that excellent and active magiftrate the Rev. Dr. Peploe Ward, to whofe unremitting attentions this gaol is arrived to an enviable ftate of maturity. There is in it a regular fhoe-maker's fhop; a weaving

weaving fhop; and three fpinning jennies. This worthy Divine omits nothing to the establishment of dit ferent enployments, in hopes of promoting industry within the dreary walls of a prifon. There is a book where donations are entered; by whom given, and how applied; and another for the reports of the vifiting magiftrates and phyficians. I muft now draw your attention to a more gloomy' picture, in preLenting to you the ftate of the two city prifons; which, I am forry to fay, having received no improvenient fince my vifits in 1779 and 1784, are to be numbered among the very worth in the kingdom.

Chefter City and County gaol. John Wilbraham, keeper; falary 6ol. Fees, debtors, 8s. 2d. on commitment; 15. 6d. on discharge, which are paid by the debtor, or he is detained till they are paid. Felons, 2s. 6d. on commitment. Allowance one pound of bread per day. Number of prifoners: debtors 4, felons 4. This gaol, called the North Gate prifon, has four convenicut rooms for debtors; to which the keeper furnithes beds at 28. per week if two flcep together; and 35. Cd. per week for a fingle bed; two of the rooms contain two beds cach, and the other two rooms one bed each. The felons' day room, 27 feet by 15, is over the tollhoufe. The horrid dungeon in which they fleep is 14 feet by 8, and the defcent by 18 fteps; it has two barrack bediteads with ftraw, and is now 12 inches deep in water. Totally dark, and without any communication with the external air, but from two leaden pipes laid in from the gateway about one inch in diameter, and two others lately added about two inches in diameter. One perfon only can go down at a time; and as the prifoner who fleeps here would not be permitted to have a candle, it must be very difficult for him to get to his bed. The magiftrates politely accompanied me to this wretched place; and candles being lighted,

the mayor went down to the bottom ftep: the water prevented his going farther. I told them that the dungeon had been lowered fince my former vifit, and that I had known four prifoners to have been locked up there when the water was 14 inches deep in it. The women felons lie up ftairs, in a room called the upper dungeon, which is totally dark, having neither light nor ventilation whatever, except what it received from an iron-grated aperture in the door (14 inches by 7), which looks into the man felons room. Ifaw fome ftraw, a blanket, and a rug on the floor; but the keeper told me no perfon flept there. Another room, called, the condemned room, had one prisoner in it.. The fize 15 feet by 12; totally dark, without any ventilation whatever. Debtors have the pri vilege of walking into the court and garden, but not the felons, on account of its being infecure. The chaplain officiates in Little St.John's chapel, which is feparated from the prifon by a navigable canal; over which a foot bridge is made for the purpofe of prifoners attending divine fervice. As no books are kept in this gaol, I could not judge of the medical attention to it, which formerly was fo much complained of. No water accellible to the prifoners. The keeper pays rent for that which fupplies his houfe. No wonder then it is filthy in the extreme. It being the time when the mayor is chofen, both the prefcnt and the mayor elect, as well as the other city magiftrates, humanely accompanied me to this, as well as to the other prifon I am about to defcribe; viz.

Chefter City Bridewell. Jonathan Taylor, keeper. Salary 41. and a licence to fell beer. Prifoners 19; allowance 1lb. of bread per day. In the keeper's houfe there are fix rooms for prifoners, and the gaoler finds them with beds at one and two fhillings per week. Of the 19 who were there yesterday, four only could pay for beds; and

the

the ftraw, from want of being changed, is worn to duft, and (warms with vermin. Below is a workshop, and a room over 25 feet by 16, but no employment whatever. No water acceffible to prifoners; the keeper pays 125. a year for what fupplies his home. Down ten steps are two dungeons, very damp, dark, and with mud floors. I was told no prifoners were ever put there; but, if I may judge from the wanton and excellive feverity I faw practifed in fome other parts of this miferable place, I fhould much doubt the fact. In the room called the workshop, there are feveral leaden weights, marked 30, 40, 60, pounds, with a ring and chains to each. These are faftened, as the. keeper pleafes, to the legs of his prifoners, fo that they cannot move without carrying the weight; two only (whom the keeper faid were refractory) were in this ftate of punithment. One man being heavily double-ironed, I enquired refpecting the caufe, which, the gaoler aid, was to prevent his escape. This poor fellow was committed till he found fecurity to keep the peace towards his wife, who, having been in the habits of pawning his cloaths (to buy gin), had at laft pawned his breeches; this fo enraged him, that he gave her a beating. I defired him to repeat to the mayor and magitirates the ftory he had related to me the day before. He did fo; when they humanely ordered his irons to be knocked off, and he was released; as were four other poor wretches, whofe punishments feemed to have wiped away their offences, though moft of the prifoners were committed for 12 months imprisonment. There is no chaplain, or any religious attention paid to them. To-morrow I fet out for Wales, though I fear the feafon is too far advanced to make much progrefs there; but, fhould I meet with any thing particular, and you will allow me to unburthen my

mind to you, another letter may be expected from your troublesome correfpondent, JAS, NEIL D.

P.S. A letter from that excellent magiftrate the Rev. Dr. Ward, dated 29 January, 1803, mentions, that the mayor and aldermen of Chetter have purchased a very eligible piece of ground to build a new goal on; open to the South and Weft, and benefited by the regular fea breezes.

Since the receipt of Dr. Ward's letter, I have been informed that the building is begun, and confiderably advanced-under the direction of Mr. Harriton, whofe abilities as an architect are fo confpicuous! in the cattle. J. N.

I

Mr. URBAN,

Bath, Jun. 3. WAS reading the other day an account of more than a hundred thoufand of our volunteers being fupplied with pikes, and was overheard by one of my maid fervants, who is juft come from a farm houfe. She remarked the would ftand a tug with the French, it they fhould come, before they fhould take away the little he had worked hard for, and that she would ufe a pitch-fork as well as they could a pike, and I muft think they are equal to a pike in every refpect, and recommend one to every houfekeeper; for, were a thief to break into your house by night, it might be of admirable uses as well as to give a foraging party of the French a proper reception.

I faw an important article in the Obferver of Dec. 25, which fays two or three provincial bankers have failed during the last week. It might be well if the Houfe of Commons required from the Stamp-office an account of ftamps iffued for country bank notes, and oblige country bankers to give fecurity for a certain capital, and to iffue notes only to that amount. I fome time ago loft a confiderable fum by a country bank failing; and, as the Bank of England proved before a Committee

Committee of the House of Commons, what property they had, furely an act of parliament might be made to oblige country bankers to do likewife; which would prevent all banks from ever failing.

If any of your correfpondents have proved the excellence of the Nolatian afparagus, or of the fugar parfnip feed, often advertifed at very high prices, I would thank him to point out where the plants may be feen when I go to London next May.

I once bought in London, for 105. 6d. fix fmall currant trees, advertifed to produce currants twice as large as the common; but not one of them produced larger currants than the common forts I had before in my garden. B. D.

experiments, and the well-founded affertions of the firft medical clarafters, men of extenfive scientific knowledge, and actuated by the principles of pureft benevolence. In the lift of chriftenings and burials, within the bills of mortality, for the year 1802, two are reported as deceafed of the Cow-pox; but, upon inquiry, it appears, that the report was exceedingly erroneous, and that their death was occafioned by very different diseases long after the effects of the Cow-pox must have ceased; and, in the last annual lift, another is reported as having died of that infection; and this cafe, I have no doubt, will be found to be equally fallacious with the former. I therefore, trust, that the Conductors of that excellent Inftitution (which is likely to be materially injured by fuch falfe reports) will

by human wisdom and induttry, there are none to truly valuable as thofe which tend to the prefervation of the lives of our fellow-creatures; for, though the feparation of the foul from the body is inevitable to all men, yet it is our duty to endeavour, by all the means in our power, to preferve our existence, until the All-wife Giver of Life is pleafed to take it from us. The recently-difcovered practice of Vaccine Inoculation, as the means of exterminating that difgufting and deftructive malady, the Small Pox, is certainly one of the moft valuable; and the worthy Difcoverer is entitled to the higheft rewards that we are capable of beftowing. So great is my confidence in the fupeor efficacy of the above practice, that I have had my own children inoculated with the vaccine matter, and moft zealously recommend it to all others who have any affection for their offspring, or regard for the happiness of fociety; and, indeed, none but the moft fceptical and ignorant can difcredit its beneficial effect, after it has been established by fo many thousands of convincing

immediate inquiry into the circumftances of the cafe, and speedily communicate the refult of their inveftigation to the world, in the moft public manner, in order to remove the prejudices which fuch reports will naturally produce upon the minds of the ignorant.

Why does the pafling of a funeral over an uninclofed piece of ground caufe it, ever afterwards, to be deemed a public thoroughfare?

N. T.

Mr.URBAN, Bath, Jan. 13. DERMIT me to inform thofe fuPER

perior reflecting humane Beings who are exerting their utmost to extirpate the Small pox from the face of the globe, that, in the Weft of England, Inoculation with Cow Pock matter gains ground. A furgeon at Sherborne, in Dorfetchire, will not inoculate but with Cow Pock matter, because, he fays, he will not bring the contagious Small pox into the town. At first he was treated with ridicule, and loft fome patients; but now his endeavours are crowned with fuccefs, and his praifes are diffuted through the coun

try